Undead have no heart, but mine is the biggeset
by artacuno53
Summary: Artacus is dead, well, sort of, but what he is for sure is a proud warrior who does what he believes is right, and this is his greatest story
1. Chapter 1

My name is Artacus and as im sure you have noticed, I am dead, although I guess not quite in the sense of the word since I am obviously telling you this story.I guess it makes more sense to say undead, only because while im not alive, im not lifeless. Before I died I had a family, a wife and two sons, I was a proud warrior for the forces of the alliance in the third war, and life was happy. But when the forces of the Lich threatened the world both horde and alliance put their fighting aside to unite to fight the threat. I was merely a casualty of war, and in my death enslaved by the lich, but that is old history and i prefer to not talk about it.

About me though? Well I was still a proud warrior, I was more compassionate than most of my undead brethren. I didn't enjoy seeing people suffer, or torture, but i did still get a rush when striking down a foe with an honorable kill. There wasn't much happiness in life anymore though. They say the heart is where things like love and compassion are felt, and while that may only be expressions but i was missing my heart, and I felt empty. Life as a zombie was cold, hated by humans and even untrusted by our horde allies. The only happiness that seemed possible to gain was killing, and just knowing we were still alive, or at least not dead. Because I wasn't extremely keen on killing life was dark, the only death I would often think of was my own. But that before she happened.

Whats that? Well I was only introducing myself to our new friends, but I will tell the story, i do know how you love it.


	2. Chapter 2

It was another day in the plaguelands, the forsaken were raiding human farms for supplies to trade and no doubt take revenge on the humans that hated us, most emotions felt by us are dark ones and some of my brothers weren't as merciful as I. I was just wandering about , I didn't like to participate in the pillaging. It doesn't make me feel any better, or anything really but I did go when the others were done and had taken what they wanted so I could grab anything not looted by the others.

This time I sat in the field in front of the unlucky farmstead that had been chosen and the rest of the raiding party closed in and began their attack on the poor family inside. It wasn't their fault they had to die, but its a cold world on Azeroth, it just is, and people have to suffer. I paid little to no mind though, instead paid attention to my surroundings, birds chirped, though im sure they were plagued, I could see animals move about the nearby forest and a butterfly landed on my leg. I watched the butterfly as it flapped its wings and walked around the new found world of my skin. I smiled and felt a tickling feeling, not on my leg, my sense of touch was weak compared to what it used to be, but in my chest, and i figured this would be my highlight of the day.

But as I focused again on the world around me I realized the commotion had stopped and the others were finishing up their looting so I decided it was my turn to go take a look and see if they had missed anything I could sell to the horde auction house.

The others had been kind enough to close the door upon leaving, must have been force of habit. Through the window I could see that the shadows of the surrounding trees made the inside of the house quite dark. Upon entering I heard a thud. I froze and surveyed the room but saw nothing that could have caused it and figured it must have been an animal on the rooftop. I lit a match, took a nearby candle, and began my rummaging.

There wasnt much, mostly garbage or a copper here and there. it was obvious these farmers hadnt been living well. Nothing in the drawers, nothing in the lock boxes, but I noticed something odd, in the house there were three beds but only 2 bodies. Pehaps it was nothing and the family simply had another bed for visitors . I checked under the first two, again nothong of intrest, but under the third i was shocked at what i spotted, a little face staring back at me.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a small face, a young girl with long blonde hair holding a teddy bear tight to her mouth, obviously crying and terrified by the recent happenings and the blue face staring at her. But she wasn't moving or making a sound.

I froze, assessing the situation and what to do next, while we stared at each other. After what felt like forever I stretched out my hand, but she screamed and turned away and I snapped my hand back to my side. I realized she was obviously traumatized and i would have to find a way to reach her. Slowly i stood up, took some blankets off the beds and covered the bodys of her parents as she continued to cry under her bed.

I returned to the bed the girl was under, and took a stuffed bunny off the shredded pillows. Crouching down again the girl was still looking down and away, eyes closed gripping her stuffed bear, it was all she had left it seemed. With the rabbit in hand I slowly outstretched my arm and waited for her gaze to move in my direction. It took a little but she did look up again, only for a second as she made a small screeching sound and shifted back, but noticing something different she looked back and saw my offering. She only stared for a while, processing what was happening, surely what she had seen, and been taught, said that I was the enemy, and wanted to kill her and little more. Perhaps she truley trusted me, or that she knew trusting she had better chances going with me than the others, or maybe she just thought she had no choice, but she took the rabbit, and then my hand.

Slowly emerging from the bed she seemed unstable, even had trouble standing up, the emotional strain of what happened was astounding. But upon standing up from under the bed she collapsed to her knees and began crying uncontrollably, and i sat down with her and held her. My cold skin was foreign to her, she did not know me, but I gripped tight, and she gripped tighter.

I wasn't letting go, I would never let her go.


End file.
